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The Seat Leon is the Spanish brand's rival to practical family hatchbacks such as the FordFocus and Volkswagen Golf. In fact, under the skin it's very closely related to the Golf, and as with that car it underwent a mid-life facelift in 2017 to ensure it remains competitive with rivals.

This is no bad thing given how good the latest Golf is. And the Leon's sharp-edged styling means it's more likely to turn heads.

It’s available in three-door SC guise, as a more practical ST estate or as a five-door family hatchback, which is what we are concentrating on here.

The Leon uses the same petrol and diesel engines as the Golf and the Audi A3, but unlike those cars can’t be ordered as a plug-in hybrid.

Space 7/10

Good for passengers, but boot is beaten by some rivals

There's room for six-footers in both the front and rear seats, plus access is easy thanks to doors that open nice and wide.

The boot is the same size as a VW Golf's, so it's easily big enough for a large suitcase or a folded baby buggy. That said, it isn't nearly as big as a SkodaOctavia's or Honda Civic’s, and even with the adjustable boot floor in its highest position there’s a small loading lip to negotiate.

The entry-level model also misses out on split-folding rear seats, and while in-car storage is reasonable, the Golf and Octavia offer more still.

Comfort 7/10

Firmer than a VW Golf, but still acceptable

It’s easy to find a good driving position in the Leon thanks to an excellent range of adjustment for both the steering wheel and seat.

The suspension that's fitted to regular versions of the Leon is noticeably firmer around town than the suspension in equivalent VW Golfs or the Honda Civic, but comfort does improve with speed. Even so, we wouldn’t recommend opting for anything larger than 17-inch wheels unless you’re after one of the high performance Cupra 300 models which need the bigger wheels and tyres to put the power down to the road (Cupras also come with Dynamic Chassis Control adaptive suspension to give a decent ride).

The 1.6- and 2.0-litre diesel models are a little noisier than we'd like. However, the 1.0- and 1.4-litre petrol engines are smooth and quiet, and all Leons are pretty good at shutting out wind and road noise.

Dashboard layout 4/10

Let down by a clumsy touchscreen

Big, rotary climate controls make it easy to adjust the temperature inside the car, and although some of the plastics lower down on the dashboard feel a bit cheap, quality is otherwise good.

What lets the Leon down is its 8-inch touchscreen system, and specifically the lack of a secondary rotary control to flick between menus and zoom in and out of the satnav map. Without it, navigating some of the functions becomes an exercise in frustration, not to mention distracting. It marks the biggest flaw in an otherwise very capable car.

Easy to drive 8/10

Light controls and strong engines

All engines have enough power to get the Leon up to speed, although we’d opt for the 1.0-litre unit over the cheaper 1.2. The manual gearbox has a precise action, and most engines are available with the option of an automatic gearbox. Note, however, that while excellent once on the move this DSG gearbox can be a bit jerky when manoeuvring.

Light yet precise pedals and steering add to the ease of driving, and rear visibility is on a par with rivals.

Fun to drive 9/10

Cupra 300 models are fantastic

The Leon's different suspension set-ups not only affect comfort, but also how much fun it is.

While regular versions of the car stay reasonably composed on winding roads, FR models feel tauter and more keen to change direction, with decently weighted steering. The 1.8-litre petrol and the most powerful 2.0-litre diesel also offer impressive performance.

For the ultimate fun factor though, the high-performance Cupra 300 is definitely the one to have, although it’s worth noting the ST estate version feels more composed than the hatchback thanks to the addition of four-wheel drive.

Reliability 7/10

Warranty could be better

In a market in which Kia will sell you a Cee’d with a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty, and Hyundai’s i30 comes with a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, the Leon’s warranty of three years and 60,000 miles is really the minimum Seat can get away with.

Fortunately, Seat has a decent reputation for reliability, having ranked 8th of the 24 manufacturers included in the JD Power Vehicle Dependability Survey in 2016. Chances are, therefore, the Leon shouldn’t let you down.

Fuel economy 7/10

A strong showing, but not the best

The Leon is at its most efficient as a 1.6-litre diesel, in which guise it returned 70mpg in official EU fuel tests. In the real world 60-65mpg is more realistic, but that’s still on a par with what rivals can manage in normal driving.

Of the petrol engines the 1.0- and 1.4-litre units are particularly impressive, with both able to nudge 50mpg in normal driving.

If you opt for the Cupra 300 you can just stretch 30mpg out of it on a longer run, but expect economy to plummet when you really start to enjoy the performance.

Affordability 9/10

Decent value and should be cheap to run

There was a time when the Leon used to hold a considerable price advantage over the equivalent VW Golf, but the difference these days is often just a few hundred pounds. Given the Golf’s better resale values and smoother ride, it looks like the more sensible option. The Leon’s case is further harmed by the fact the Skoda Octavia with the same engines, a better touchscreen system and a much larger boot is considerably cheaper to buy, if not as stylish as the Leon.

Look at models outside of the VW Group stable and the Vauxhall Astra and Hyundai i30 are cheaper to buy, although the Leon is priced competitively against the Ford Focus.

Low CO2 emissions do however help to make diesel Leons and the 1.0-litre petrol model attractive as company cars.

Safety 9/10

Scores well for both adult and child protection

The Leon comes with seven airbags, including a driver’s knee ’bag, and this helped it earn the maximum five-star rating when it was crash tested by car safety specialists Euro NCAP.

Its score for child occupant protection was particularly impressive, bettering those of all its key rivals. What's more, the Leon matched the VW Golf for adult occupant protection, while scoring better than the Ford Focus.

As of the 2017 facelift the Leon is also available with a range of active safety systems including a city emergency braking device that automatically applies the brakes if it looks like you're going to run into the car in front in stop-start traffic. Lane keeping assist and a traffic jam assist function that can help drive the car semi-autonomously at low speeds can also be ordered on Leons with an automatic gearbox.

Standard spec 6/10

Cheapest version lacks some items you’ll want

The cheapest, S-spec Leons are basic, missing out even on alloy wheels, split-folding rear seats and heated wing mirrors, although you do get a 5-inch touchscreen system, air-conditioning and a Bluetooth hands-free phone connection.

Our favourite version

The verdict 7/10

The Seat Leon is not quite the bargain it once was, and the touchscreen system on most models can be frustrating to use. On the plus side, it’s economical, spacious and decent to drive, but for similar money a VW Golf is a better all-rounder, while if you want to spend less a Vauxhall Astra or Skoda Octavia are great options.